John Cobb Interview

Thomas talks to aerodynamics god John Cobb about working with Armstrong and how Ullrich could have saved time in the Tour's first time trial.

off a light bulb and you get a new idea. Sometimes you?re riding down the road and think up something so then you have to start testing.

What is the "perfect package" for an aero TT bike? Bars, tubes shapes, wheels, etc.?

No round tubes on the frame, thin forks and a rear disc wheel. You have to have aerobars that don?t have junk sticking out in the wind and you want the front wheel to have all the surface area you can get.

How can an average racer get the most "bang for the buck" to increase aerodynamics and lower TT times?

Use aero bars and get a disc wheel. I think that reading my website http://www.bicyclesports.com/ should help because there?s some good info on it.

Is it better to be lighter weight or more aero when considering a race bike?

Within a reasonable range of about 3-4 lb. I would go with the aero package.

In regards to obtaining as aerodynamic a position as possible in time trials, what is the error that you experience most frequently when working with riders?

They try to get to low and give up a bunch of power. Another area is that most riders don?t get their elbows right and have them too narrow.

On average, how much are riders able to improve their TT times when working with you and the rest of the team at Bicycle Sports?

Usually 10?15%. Sometimes however there is nothing wrong, but the riders need the reassurance that they are set up correctly.

In regards to time trial equipment, what changes do you see coming in the future? What?s just around the corner, and what do you expect will happen in the next five years?

The changes depend a lot on the UCI and what new rules they come up with. New rules require us to think up new answers and keep pushing the envelope. The use of Carbon in the frames will allow for more effective shapes to help manage the air better.